Passive Voice

Explanation and Examples

The passive voice is used to emphasize the action or the receiver of the action, rather than the person or thing performing the action. The subject of the sentence is the receiver of the action.

Examples:

• Active: John wrote the letter.
• Passive: The letter was written by John.
• Active: They have been painting the house.
• Passive: The house has been painted by them.

Formation

The passive voice is formed by using the appropriate form of the verb to be for the tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Example for Present Continuous:

• Active: They are painting the house.
• Passive: The house is being painted by them.

Example for Present Perfect:

• Active: They have painted the house.
• Passive: The house has been painted by them.

Passive Voice in Different Tenses

Tense	Example (Active)	Example (Passive)
Present simple	They make the toys	The toys are made
Present continuous	They are making the toys	The toys are being made
Present perfect	They have made the toys	The toys have been made
Past simple	They made the toys	The toys were made
Past continuous	They were making the toys	The toys were being made
Past perfect	They had made the toys	The toys had been made
Future simple	They will make the toys	The toys will be made
Future continuous	They will be making the toys	The toys will be being made
Future perfect	They will have made the toys	The toys will have been made

To identify the passive voice, look for the appropriate form of the verb to be for the tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Negative Sentences

To form negative sentences in the passive voice, add not after the appropriate form of the verb to be for the tense.

Examples:

• The toys are not made (Present simple)
• The toys are not being made (Present continuous)
• The toys have not been made (Present perfect)

Questions

To form questions in the passive voice, invert the subject and the appropriate form of the verb to be for the tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples:

• Are the toys made? (Present simple)
• Are the toys being made? (Present continuous)
• Have the toys been made? (Present perfect)